Monthly Archives: March 2017

On March 23rd, 2017, Beverley Clark provided public comments before the Raleigh Planning Commission concerning the Hillsborough Street/Cameron Village Small Area Plan and amendment CP-3-16.

Below are the notes of the extended comments offered by

Beverley Clark

Good Afternoon, I am Beverley Clark of 719 Graham St, a 30 year Raleigh resident.

I thank you for this 2nd opportunity to speak with you as you review the proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan.

Since your February 7 meeting, I and other neighbors have reviewed the Oberlin Streetscape Plan, the Cameron Village-Hillsborough Small Area Plan and talked with City Staff.

It is tough to follow my illustrious and eloquent friend Frank Harmon. I do not have photographs, but we have crystalized our thoughts onto the map of the proposed changes.

Smallwood Avenue Suggestions:

1. We recommend that the current transition from Peace to Clark be maintained, even while widening and improving Smallwood between Cameron and Peace.

2. We recommend that the proposed hard Left Turn on to Clark Ave be eliminated.

3. We recommend that the proposed improved portion of Smallwood merge into Cameron St, with potentially a roundabout blending the Smallwood, Cameron, Sutton intersections.

4. No changes were proposed to Bellwood; we think that this should be studied.

Rationale:

As proposed, the effect of having a Left Turn onto Clark would be to make access to Clark Ave. substantially more difficult.

Clark Ave. is bound on both sides by commercial/retail zoning and development.

Smallwood is bound on the south side by commercial/retail development and on the northside by residential development, including adjacent single family homes. Mitigating the impact on residential communities is a stated priority.

Cameron St. is existing 4 lane with commercial/retail on both sides and is the preferable route, not the northern half of Smallwood.

There is a logical nexus from Smallwood to Cameron St.

Improving the Clark to Peace transition, not making it harder, combined with the planned Peace St improvements, would mitigate the current impact on Park Dr and Woodburn Ave.

The 3 Cut-through Suggestions:

We recommend the designation of the northernmost street designation, provided that there is no impingement on the Oberlin Village cemetery.

We acknowledge that Glover Lane is a dedicated City R-O-W, and we support its usage as a bike lane.

We support the widening of Oberlin Rd between Bedford Ave and Mayview Ave, even if it means eliminating the bike lanes striped on Oberlin. As they are now designated, those bike lanes are unusable and unsafe.

We recommend utilization of Daniels St as an alternative to Oberlin for cyclists.

We recommend the elimination of the third, most southerly cut-through option.

Rationale:

The northernmost street designation is primarily current City R-O-W and therefore makes sense to map for future usage, with the provision that it not impinge on the Cemetery

It is our understanding that as part of the “Oberlin” development that the developer is required to pave Glover Lane up to the Cameron Village Condominiums and that this will occur within the year. Encouraging use by cyclists and pedestrians would be the safest alternative for all parties.

Roads should not be drawn that promote the destruction of existing affordable housing stock.

Various reasons for these cut-throughs have been provided; if connectivity were the true rationale then it would be appropriate for City staff to designated the roadways needed to connect Clark Ave and or Bedford Ave in order to provide “connectivity”. No such “taking” is proposed there, similarly it should not be proposed here.

Our concern is that the southernmost cut-through is proposed in order to enhance the development on Oberlin. This cut-through would damage the important transitions between commercial and residential areas.